Anyone Been Busted?

[+Pengy&Tigger]

Has anyone ever been caught geocaching by someone they know?

 

I was spotted on Saturday by one of my colleagues, crawling under a barbed wire fence (me not him). I just found out he lives near where we parked the car and he watched us for half an hour crawling under barbed wire fences and poking around in a gorse bush. I'm sure he thinks I'm mental!

 

Tigger

Edited April 26, 2004 by Pengy&Tigger

[+MarcB]

Rofl! I haven't myself, but your story sounds like it came straight from a sitcom!

Great topic by the way

MarcB

[Team Numpty]

I wasn't spotted by someone i know but my fiancee was caught crawling out of the bushes on her hands and knees with me closely behind by a gentlemen who gave us a truly evil stare

[Deego]

Once crawled out from under a hedge on a country lane from a trigpoint. Where two people walking their dog. I did go a bit red then dashed to my car.

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

Yep several times in fact by people I know. Dozens of times by unknown people. One was attached to the bottom of a bench and when I approached there was a lady sitting on the bench. I was very tempted to just crawl under there with an "excuse me" but I waited it out.

[+Sparky-Watts]

Yep several times in fact by people I know. Dozens of times by unknown people. One was attached to the bottom of a bench and when I approached there was a lady sitting on the bench. I was very tempted to just crawl under there with an "excuse me" but I waited it out.

Ya need to have a video camera when ya do that, just to see the look on her face!

 

Some how, I picture John Cleese as Basil on "Fawlty Towers" as the person crawling out from under a shrubbery with a tupperware container full of toys in his hand!

[+Volvo Man]

Did someone say shurrrrrubbery?

 

I got busted yesterday popping up from behind a tree. (right where the cache was)

All I do is smile and walk off, making a motion as if zipping up my flies! That way, nobody is ever going to go investigate what I was up to behind that tree!!

[+Sparky-Watts]

Did someone say shurrrrrubbery?

 

I got busted yesterday popping up from behind a tree. (right where the cache was)

All I do is smile and walk off, making a motion as if zipping up my flies! That way, nobody is ever going to go investigate what I was up to behind that tree!!

[+Couparangus]

All I do is smile and walk off, making a motion as if zipping up my flies! That way, nobody is ever going to go investigate what I was up to behind that tree!!

 

I've done this once before - works like a champ!

 

I usually avoid any caches that are in public places (unless virtual) as I prefer the country hike or mountain bike ones. And with my luck if I were hunting an urban cahce I'd be in an incriminating position and hear, "Ullo, ullo, ullo, what's going on here then?!"

 

One thing I do, and I think its a good idea, when I find a cache I immediately carry it a hundred or so feet away before popping it open and signing the log. I've been "busted" numerous times signing the log or swapping swag but have never been questioned. Hell, I've seen people doing more unusual things in a forest and not thought much of it. Mind you, the one fella engaged in primal screams was a bit odd...even by Geocaching standards...but that's another story for another time.

 

Cheers!

Coupar-Angus

[+Simply Paul]

While caching in Oxford the other week with Dan Wilson, doing 2202's University Challenge series, we both engaged in the "Oh dadgum, my shoelace has come undone" technique of micro-cache retrieval. Unbeknownst to him, I also tried the Misdirection approach. While he was getting one cache I noticed an approaching couple (quite fat, might have been Americans) and simply took a couple of paces away from Dan and pointed to the sky. They looked at me, then looked at where I was pointing (zilch) and failed to notice Dan at all. Slick operation!

 

I too have had cause to pull the "Ah, I needed that" face in the woods, and usually move some distance from the cache site before I open the box and sign the log. I have also produced a banana and pretended this box full of bright coloured things is my packed lunch. Most people aren't all that observant, and the ones who are are far too polite to say anything - god bless English Reserve! However, the only time I've been properly rumbled was by two men with guns...

 

SP

[+1100f]

I had a thought of what lengths people will go to, to protect the cache, eg of two geo cachers out looking for a cache and shouting

"someones coming, quick take your clothes off!"

[+Volvo Man]

I also went after the University challenge series, but I had a distinct advantage over most other cachers, namely a White signwritten Van in the name of a major Cable Telephone company, a flashing orange beacon, Logo-ed up Hi-Vis Vest, and the ability to look like I'm inspecting the pavement for streetworks purposes. Even the local police ignored me when parked up on double yellows. Although It was Sunday morning. In Parks etc, I wear the vest, and look like a council worker. Out in the woods though, I try to disappear in the green and if that fails, see above.

[+yorkstan]

Mind you, the one fella engaged in primal screams was a bit odd...even by Geocaching standards...but that's another story for another time.

I'm told it is a very good stress buster (not from personal experience I hasten to add) - perhaps for those times when you cannot find the cache (perhaps someone has taken it 100 ft away to open it?).

Yorkstan

[+Pharisee]

The sight of a hairy old git, in faded camo and a funny hat, suddenly appearing out of the undergrowth usually causes muggles to quickly gather up any stray children, dogs, aged parents etc. turn around and walk the other way. If that fails, walking round in circles, muttering to a ‘phone’ held at arms length and occasionally jumping up and down in rage will always do the trick. It does somewhat limit you time at the cache site though as the subsequent wail of approaching sirens usually indicates that it’s time to beat a hasty retreat.

[+choccymandm]

If that fails, walking round in circles, muttering to a ‘phone’ held at arms length and occasionally jumping up and down in rage will always do the trick.

... ahh so that'll be the Grockles Grumble then!

 

We've never been caught by someone we know ... now that's just tempted fate! but have been caught by those we don't know on many occasions. Why is it when you are doing something as innocent as geocaching do you feel at times as guilty as hell? Excuses range from taking photo's to "So where do you think dropped it then?" ... thankfully no-one has yet to ask us what it is we dropped!!

 

My own personal favourite excuse was i was checking the locations of electricity pylons ... i later found out in this thread that people do actually log the locations of leccy pylons!!

[+The Hokesters]

We've never had a problem yet (only done 6 caches ) but I have a great idea should we ever get into a sticky situation - the Geko 301 that we have is the same size and similar colour to most modern mobile phones.

 

If I come stumbling out of the bushes into the path of some muggles I will simply raise the Geko to my ear and say in a loud exasperated voice 'No Mum, tiddles is definitely not out here'!

 

Should work for most places locally but might be a bit tricky out in the middle of nowhere!

 

The Hokesters

[+MoonHerb]

I wasn't caught by someone I know, rather I was 'caught' by the police !!

 

I had just found "Hotwells" in Bristol ( cache page here - Hotwells Cache ). I was going back under cover with the (micro) cache in my hand (it was tipping down !) when an officer of the law came round the corner and decided to shelter where I was. He also took the oportunity to 'question' me ! What was I doing, where do I live, etc. etc. !

 

I answered (relatively) truthfully and then we chatted about ID cards, mobile phones when driving and filling out parking tickets in the rain, all the time I had the cache clutched in my hand, how glad was I that it was a micro !!! He then moved off so I could get on with the real reason I was there in the first place !!

 

I'd popped down there half way through Homes of the rich and famous and the experience sort of put me off when I got to the last leg of that multi, it was a little exposed to the public view !!

Edited May 6, 2004 by MoonHerb

[MCL]

However, the only time I've been properly rumbled was by two men with guns...

 

SP

Ah well in that case you should know that Dan is an expert in these circumstances...

[+Simply Paul]

I've heard the stories, lol!

 

As it happens, this was at a Dan (& Pid) cache - The Hole. Perhaps there's some sort of 'armed men' / Dan jinx?

 

SP

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

I was spotted by the man I coached with while I was looking around his workplace for the cache. He knows I'm a cacher and he came out and asked me if I were geocaching. He thinks I'm stupid.

 

Shut up